Customized Star Wars Illustration: Naomi Strikes Back

First of all, please forgive the title of this post. I just couldn’t resist.

This blog was a significant part of my social media presence for my Social Media Design class (the reason behind all of my shiny new social media channels), but it didn’t cover every requirement for the class. I also had to create an ad campaign, and create new artwork specifically for said ad campaign. Given that I do not have all the time in the world (I wish), I wasn’t sure that I could create an entirely new vector illustration within the constraints of the deadline. However, I was reasonably certain that I could create something new-ish. Ever since December, I had been wishing that I had my own Jedi illustration to match the illustration I created as a Christmas present. Who doesn’t want a radical poster of themselves as a Jedi? I had created a few sketches idly as part of my usual church sketching session, but I hadn’t done anything with them since.

Gage Sicosta and Lex Desthei were meant to be best space buddies, friends and adventurers wreaking havoc across the galaxy.

So what could be more natural than creating a companion piece? With this shoddy justification bouncing around in my mind, I set out to work. As is customary, I began by outlining the shapes over the image of my sketches to start off the composition. I pulled photos of myself from my computer and traced them to attempt a more natural, realistic profile of myself, and then progressed towards making this iteration look like the illustration I had created approximately three months before.

This was my first attempt at recording my process by taking frequent screencaps, showcasing the creative process behind my illustrations without livestreaming or recording it. As you can see, it’s a messy process!

Once I had finished my side profile to my satisfaction, I was able to move on to her Jedi robes. You can see the sketch in the background of this shot, as well as a good view of my working environment in Adobe Illustrator.

Here’s a better example of the “underpinnings” behind the finished product. The pose is not exactly like the initial sketch, but they’re similar enough that you can get a good idea of how I go from that sketch to a digital product.

From there, I continued to finish her robes, create a similar background to the Gage Sicosta illustration, add the glow and gradient effects, and finish the shading.

I’m pleased by the fact that this illustration looks more like me than any other vector self-portrait I’ve done, but it also makes a great companion piece to my other Star Wars illustration.

The fictional versions of ourselves look fabulous together, and created some interesting, engaging ads for the ad campaign required for my class!

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you have any questions, requests, or if you’d like to see yourself as an awesome, steely-eyed Star Wars character!